Mold Hysteria: Origin of the Hoax
The topic of building related illness came into the public's eye as a major health issue in the mid 1970s, when several cases of pneumonia were found to be associated with an infectious agent in Philadelphia. This agent was subsequently found to be a gram-...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2005-01-01
|
| Series: | Clinical and Developmental Immunology |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17402520500131409 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| Summary: | The topic of building related illness came into the public's eye as a major
health issue in the mid 1970s, when several cases of pneumonia were found to
be associated with an infectious agent in Philadelphia. This agent was
subsequently found to be a gram-positive bacterium known as Legionella
pneumoniae. During the ensuing 30 years, a myriad of symptom constellations,
disorders, clinical syndromes and illnesses have been attributed to indoor living
or working environments. Over time, there appeared to be no limit to claims of
building related illness, and it was “reported” that almost any kind of clinical
symptom, real or imaginary, could be blamed on indoor environments. As society
became more and more litigious, many of these disorders were erroneously played
out in courtrooms rather than medical offices, creating a circus atmosphere
surrounding this class of disorders. With the advent of the internet, as well as
other advances in telecommunications, these issues eventually became part of
a media frenzy, and all truths could be thrown out the window as issues became
more and more decided upon by
emotions and unfounded beliefs, rather than scientific data and logical thinking. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 1740-2522 1740-2530 |